Hunting rifle criteria?

[fabsroman]

Ruger Hawkeye is available in .243 Win with a wood stock and a hinged floorplate. Looks like gunbroker has it for sale at $675, but that is the first auction I saw. I replaced the stocks on my Ruger bolt guns with Hogue stocks. The floorplate just transfers right over.

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/741661290

https://ruger.com/products/HawkeyeStandard/models.html

 

[Biggfoot44]

Injection molded synthetic stocks are cheaper to mfg than virtually all wood stocks.

Detatchable magazines are due to consumer demand .

 

[BUFF7MM]

Just because there is a huge exit wound does not mean that the bullet did a perfect job. Shot a button buck with my .300 Win Mag and Core-Lokt bullets at 20 yards one time right under my tree stand, and there was no exit wound. The bullet blew up inside the deer and deposited all of its kinetic energy within the deer. Blood shot out of the entry hole and the deer dropped like a sack of potatoes where it stood. When I opened it up, the inside of it was a bunch of mush.

The Barnes X bullet is designed to leave a trauma wound inside the animal that looks like a football, with a very small exit hole. A lot of it comes down to proper bullet selection and proper bullet placement.

I would not hesitate to use a 22-250 on deer. Only question would be what the max effective range is for that round with the bullet selected (e.g., speed at target, bullet expansion at said speed, bullet penetration).

https://www.outdoorlife.com/blogs/gun-shots/2013/10/killing-energy-how-much-do-you-need-big-game

https://whitetail.winchester.com/2013/the-myth-of-minimum-impact-energy/

https://www.fieldandstream.com/arti...recommended-kinetic-energy-hunting-whitetails

Really, if it’s laying on the ground where I shot it with a fist sized hole in the rib cage, by my standards I’d have to say the bullet did a perfect job for me, YMMV.

 

[fabsroman]

Really, if it’s laying on the ground where I shot it with a fist sized hole in the rib cage, by my standards I’d have to say the bullet did a perfect job for me, YMMV.

Some of us have differing levels of perfection. To some, any dead deer means perfection, and a Remington Core-Lokt is as much perfection as any other bullet as long as the deer is dead. Shoot the deer through the eye and into the brain with a pellet gun, and the pellet gun worked to perfection.

So, it will depend on what we define "perfection" to be.

 

[CombatAK]

My cousin bought a Mossberg Patriot in 25-06 and he is thrilled with it. He got the one with the synthetic stock so he wouldn't have to worry about it getting beat up on his 4 wheeler. If nothing else, it is a baloney getter. The walnut stock Mossbergs are really nice too.

 

[tosainu1]

2 gun solution

Either .223 and 30-06

Or .243 and 308

Of those I’d probably go with the second option. Sell one of the rifles and use the funds to have decent scopes put on. (Leupold VX-2 or higher)

Common rounds available everywhere. I’d probably get a savage 12 series for the varnint gun and maybe a nice Remington 700 CDL for the deer gun.

Orrrrr....

Buy a custom Hart rifle in one do all caliber like 243 and sell the rest which is what I wish I would have done instead of having every caliber under the sun and making tons of sacrifices in glass quality.

 

[Mini14tac]

Just because there is a huge exit wound does not mean that the bullet did a perfect job. Shot a button buck with my .300 Win Mag and Core-Lokt bullets at 20 yards one time right under my tree stand, and there was no exit wound. The bullet blew up inside the deer and deposited all of its kinetic energy within the deer. Blood shot out of the entry hole and the deer dropped like a sack of potatoes where it stood. When I opened it up, the inside of it was a bunch of mush.

I had the same thing happen once with my 7mm Mag. Shot a doe about 30 yards broad side with no exit wound. Bullet must have hit a rib and disintegrated with the same results. Mush! Usually would leave an exit wound that you could drop a grapefruit through. Can't remember what the bullet was being it was so long ago but I have since changed rounds. I like the 6.5 CM as an alternative.

 

[Biggfoot44]

For most situations, for most cals , used for game more or less suitable for the cal , Buff is mostly correct .

There can be an obsession over the apearence of the recovered bullet generally, and weight retention specifically. The real purpose , and ultimate test of a hunting bullet , is dead game . Within the above parameters , old school conventional bullets of good quality work fine .

But in this thread , we are talking about two situations that fall outside the norms .

.22-250 indeed buts more ft lb on tagret than .223( 5.56 ) . BUT due to numbers , and market demand spuring R&D , .223 has much better hunting bullets . The current bonded and monolithic .223 bullets give game performence of levels not concieved in the past . But most of those bullets require faster twists than factory .22-250 rifles .

Meanwhile at Fab's .300 . He didn't specify a weight , but particularly with 150gr conventional bullets driven at .300mag velocities at " close " ranges can be driven beyond capability , and blow up . For say an antelope @ 300yds , will have slowed down to suitable impact velocities , whitetail in the woods , not so much .

Underpowered for application ctgs need premium bullets to get it done . Overpowered for application ctgs have two opposing problems - Too lightly constructed , can blow up . Too tough , and minimal to modest expansion on mere whitetails . ( Compared to Elk , brown bears , etc , mid atlantic sized deer are " big game " by law and courtesy.)

 

[fidelity]

Pale Ryder, check out this Tikka T3X in 223 at Whittaker's for $490 ...

https://shop.whittakerguns.com/product/ss-6996592

Most other places are selling the same gun for $600-650 ...

https://grabagun.com/tikka-t3x-lite-bolt-action-rifle-black-223rem-22in-barrel-4rds.html
https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/mobile/product/15300/redirect

The lightweight Tikka rifles are known for their accuracy, reliability, and aesthetic simplicity. You can put the extra money into a scope.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

 

[TargetGrade]

For what you want and already have........ 243 OR 7mm/08 would work nicely.

 

[BigSteve57]

I've hunted for 30+ years.
I own & have hunted with: 30-06 (a lot) , .308 (a little), 22-250 (a lot) , .243 (a lot) and .223 (a little).
If I wanted just 1 rifle I would opt for the .243 on the grounds that it will take deer & varmints very nicely.
Whenever I was undecided about a rifle or round I factored in availability of the ammunition and for the rifle, reputation/longevity of the manufacturer.
You can get the .243 virtually anywhere from Walmart to a mom & pop hardware store.

 

[ted76]

A Savage in .243 is a perfect fit for you needs, get an older wood stocked one and glass bed it, with a free floated barrel, it will be a tack driver. With the right bullet selection, 100 -105 grain for Deer, down to the 70-85 grain ones for Ground Hogs or Coyotes.

 

[54rndball]

I don’t think there that many coyotes around in MD to need a dedicated coyote rifle. Just use the deer rifle if you happen to see one.

 

[Doco Overboard]

For hunting rifles I prefer to not have anything with an extended box mag. For different types of hunting some designs and add ons certainly have their merit depending what you want to do.
The 30-06 is the parent cartridge of a few of the suggestions made.
The 243 probably has the most notoriety as a bridge the gap choice and might be easier to hit big game and varmints with to about 300 yds without a whole lot of fuss.
Ammo cheap,good bullet selection for hand-loaders, easy to load, doesn't beat you up, lightweight barrel profiles performing reasonably well in box store rifles.
We keep a 243 around for a lender/spare and its killed a lot of deer and foxes as well as could be reasonably expected.

 

[Pale Ryder]

Yeah, first and foremost this would be a deer rifle, but was wanting something a bit smaller than my -06 to also be used on predators. That is if I can find them. The cartridge selection I can pick from many mentioned leaning 243 or 7mm08. I like the 25-06 but not currently reloading for rifles, and ammo looks $$$. Anyone like the RAR over the Savage or vice versa?

 

[Ifdot]

Pale Ryder, check out this Tikka T3X in 223 at Whittaker's for $490 ...

https://shop.whittakerguns.com/product/ss-6996592

Most other places are selling the same gun for $600-650 ...

https://grabagun.com/tikka-t3x-lite-bolt-action-rifle-black-223rem-22in-barrel-4rds.html
https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/mobile/product/15300/redirect

The lightweight Tikka rifles are known for their accuracy, reliability, and aesthetic simplicity. You can put the extra money into a scope.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

Got no dog in the fight caliber wise, but a Tikka rifle you cannot go wrong with. Smoothest bolt you can get factory IMO and is magazine fed. Can't be beat, and 1moa out of the box!

 

[kraftyone]

Got no dog in the fight caliber wise, but a Tikka rifle you cannot go wrong with. Smoothest bolt you can get factory IMO and is magazine fed. Can't be beat, and 1moa out of the box!

After talking with a few friends Tikka will be my next rifle but in 308. As far as my opinion on the OPs issue I would go 243

 

[RetiredArmyGuy]

243 would be the way to go. Light recoil and you can get a 243 ADL Remington at Walmart or Dick’s pretty cheap.

 

[lazarus]

Got no dog in the fight caliber wise, but a Tikka rifle you cannot go wrong with. Smoothest bolt you can get factory IMO and is magazine fed. Can't be beat, and 1moa out of the box!

Having used a modern Sako, I must disagree. Daddy Sako is smoother then little kids Tikka and more accurate. That said, they also command 3x the price.

My old Sako Forester (its as old as I am, 35+ years old) is a tack driver (doing my part and small luck it is sub half MOA with the right ammo for 3 shot groups. It heats up and opens up as it isn’t floated) with the best trigger I have EVER used. But the bolt isn’t the best. Really nice, but the two lug design it used is very slightly sloppy. Not bad mind you, but nothing like a new Tikka or Sako.

 

[lazarus]

One thought, Howa 1500 in 6.5 grendel. Issue, you really need to reload to shoot cheap. It’s .80-1.20 a round otherwise unless it likes the steel wolf. My 6.5 Grendel AR-15 doesn’t like it. Howa barreled action for $350 or so from Brownells, transfer fee and then a stock for $100 or so.

6.5 Grendel can also certainly get it done for all that you want. 90gr ballistic tip or soft point will work great on yotes or varmints and the 120/123gr will put down a deer easy out to 300 (and could maybe push it further, but I don’t like energy dropping under 800ft-lbs for deer). Softer recoiling then .243 and significantly better Barrel life.